The Craddle of Stars (TROS: a sequel)
by MyBeewing
Summary: SPOILER ALERT If you haven't seen TRoS, turn around right now! He was dead. The words followed her, tortured her, broke her piece by piece, until she couldn't stand it anymore. Heartbroken and devastated by her role in Ben's death, Rey had no hope left, until dark dreams made her think otherwise. So she decided to bring him back, deep from the cradle of stars.
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone ! First of all, thank you for reading this ! It's the first actual story I've ever written, so I don't really know how it's gonna turn out :) I hope you enjoy and feel free to write reviews !**

**( The story is currently rated T, just to be safe)**

* * *

**Prologue:**

* * *

The Universe is infinite. So many things to see, to do, to listen to. And if you listen carefully, the Universe will tell you a story:

At night, if you look at the sky, you'll see diamonds. Stars. Precious stones lighting the night, composing a galaxy. If you look further, you'll come across newborn stars, supernovas, black holes, planets orbiting around different suns but more importantly, across the universe, you'll find another galaxy.

And a long time ago, in this galaxy far, far away, wishes came true and miracles were accomplished, all in the name of most powerful thing of all: love.

* * *

Nothing. Never. No one.

Alone. Unchanging.

A thought. Repeated.

Over. Over. Over again.

Dark. Drifting.

_The right choice._

_Alive._


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone ! This is the first real chapter, and I hope you enjoy it ! For the moment there isn't much action, but it should come round at one point :) Well, anyway, enjoy !**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

Rey was in a meadow. One of those places full of sun she she only dreamt of when she was still a scavenger on Jakku but could now live in. She never stopped marveling about it. Warm-scented flowers everywhere and trees in the distance. Sunrays brushed her face and a small spring sang quietly. Strong arms circled her. _His_ arms.

_Something's wrong._

"What is it ?" asked Ben Solo. He had that big smile on his face, the type that shouted _Surprise !_

"I... don't know," she answered. "Something feels weird."

There was a noise behind her. A familiar buzz: a lightsaber being turned on. She spun around, and a gasp escaped her. She suddenly found herself in a cold, snowy forest, and in front of her stood Kylo Ren.

"NO !"

"Rey…" a moan from behind her. She turned to the speaker : Ben.

"I don't understand…" she faltered. Ben was clutching his stomach. She rushed to his side and peeled his hands off. A lightsaber wound stared back at her.

"No…" it wasn't a shout this time, barely a whisper. Ben smiled sadly as he fell. His body disappeared slowly until only his clothes were left on the white ground. Tears streaming down her face, Rey pivoted back to Kylo Ren, but he was gone. The scenery had changed again and had abandoned her alone in the dark.

"No ! Let me out ! This isn't possible… Let me out !" she half-yelled half-sobbed. The darkness closed around her, heavy and suffocating.

Eventually, when her throat felt raw from shouting, she rolled into a ball, closed her eyes and weeped.

* * *

When Rey finally surfaced, she was in her bed, on Tatooine. Outside, the sky was ink black, stars lighting the desert. She let out a relieved sigh while touching her cheeks to check for any tears. It had just been a nightmare. But then a thought made made her breath hitch. It might have been a nightmare, but it didn't change anything.

"He's still dead," she choked out. She wrapped her hands around her waist and squeezed, hard. For a moment she was back there again, in the meadow, in the jungle, on the sea, in the spaceship, in all the place she'd dreamt of, Ben with her. Another reminder of what her life could have been, if he hadn't left her…

Far, far away, she heard a muffled, high-pitched scream. It went on and on and finally she realized _she_ was making that sound. And Rey wouldn't stop. She just let let the sound swell and grow...

A piercing pain in her arm cut the scream short. She looked down to see her cuts had reopened. Three deep scratches, bleeding. This blood she couldn't understand wasn't black from guilt and sorrow and her missing half.

After coming back from Exegol, Rey had felt alright, at first. She'd smiled and cried after seeing all her friends alive, and then she'd gone to Tatooine, to bury Luke and Leia's lightsabers. After that, she had come back to the Resistance base. And there she'd collapsed. Without warning. She'd spent a week without eating, without sleeping, punching trees and ignoring anyone who tried to talk to her, living and ghosts both. Finally, on the eighth day, she'd taken Luke's X-wing and had flown to Tatooine where she'd wandered aimlessly only half-alive, reliving Ben's death over and over; until she'd found a small unoccupied house in the desert, which she'd settled in. During all of it, her eyes had stayed dry, refusing to shed a tear. They still wouldn't.

Rey examined her bitten, bloody nails. A fitting image of what she certainly looked like. Upon moving in this house, she'd covered all the mirrors. She couldn't face the white face eaten by shadows, the lose, knotted hair, the purple, bruise-like half-moons under the red-rimmed wide eyes of her reflection. She'd looked like the mad addicts she sometimes saw back on Jakku.

She got up, brushed and braided her hair, took a loaf of bread with her and went outside for another sleepless night. She headed for the nearest mound of rocks and started climbing. When she was at the top, she sat down, took a bite of bread and gazed into the night.

* * *

Rey stayed this way a long time. Long enough for the stars to fade and the sun to turn the horizon into a pool of violet, orange, green and pink light. It was her stunning scenery, and she felt her stomach clench. How could the world be so beautiful ? How, when her Ben was…

She leaned on one side and threw up, choking on the bile.

"Rey !" it was Finn's voice, coming from outside the house. A ship was waiting next to an old speeder she'd found and repaired. Rose was standing in front.

Rey got up, slowly, and climbed down the hill while dusting the sand off her clothes.

"Hello, Finn. Rose," Rey nodded at both of them while leaning on the door.

She was sure they could tell her smile was forced, but they didn't say anything about it. It had been going on this way for five months, since the Last Battle, as the people called it. She'd found a safe haven on Tatooine, far from the noises of the cities, far from her friends, who asked to many questions about what had happened that day. When people visited, they would talk about anything except what taken place on Exegol and the following days. Her first and only rule.

"What is it ?" she asked.

It was Rose who answered. "The Resistance finally tracked down the emperor's followers. They're hiding in one of the other unregistered planets, on the borders. Poe's trying to get a small team together to collect as much information as possible before we launch our attack. Chewie, Finn and me are already going but we thought you could join us. I mean, you're the best fighter we have. The goal would be to find the planet, land and spy them for as long as possible until we have to leave. What do you think ?"

Rey stayed silent. She knew which answer they were hoping for, just as she knew what her answer would be, but she didn't want to hurt her friends.

"I can't," she finally whispered, looking at her feet, "I'm sorry. I just can't," she repeated louder.

She didn't dare looking up, because she couldn't watch the disappointed in Finn's and Rose's eyes. She just didn't feel ready.

"I don't believe that. You can very well, I know it."

This new voice was firm, strong and steely. _Poe._ It was the only friend who hadn't visited regularly. She hadn't seen him more than three times, presumably because he'd stayed as general after Palpatine was defeated. But Rey knew it had more to do with the fact that she'd refused to share the story of her battle with Palpatine.

Poe came out of the ship, placed himself in front of Rey and crossed his arms.

"Rey, you can't keep hiding forever. I don't know what's going on, but we still need you. _The Resistance_ needs you," he added.

"The Resistance has no place to be now that peace is back," she snapped "and don't tell me what to do and not do."

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it," said Poe more softly. "But keep in mind that since you're still part of the Resistance, Finn and I, as generals, can order you to go. What's more, the Last Battle isn't the last. There will never stop being a person that want to rule the galaxy. You of all people should know that."

"You mean because of the force ?" asked Rey. _Lots of good it's done me._ She thought bitterly. "Anyway, I've just told you I can't, Poe. It's not that I don't want to, believe me, but I…" she stopped. Poe was shaking his head.

"Yes, but why ?" he said angrily "Look, if you just told us what happened on Exegol-"

"I've gotta go now, Poe, I haven't eaten breakfast and I'm running late. We'll talk another time. Thank you for coming to see me," she cut him. She straightened up and started opening the door.

"But-"

"Poe, man, come on. We'll come back later," said Finn, taking his friend's arm and leading him to their ship.

Rey watched through the window as the vessel hovered in the air and flew away. Then, with a heavy sigh, she went to her room and sat on the bed.

* * *

"You shouldn't push your friends away like that, you know"

Rey whirled around and watched as the speaker gradually appeared, until finally, the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in front of her.

* * *

**Whew, well that was short. I'm sorry ! The next chapters should be longer (I hope) :) If you have any advice, or just something to say, please REWIEW ! (it might make me write more quickly, you never know… )**


End file.
